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Kander asks House Speaker Tim Jones to take up early voting legislation

Jefferson City, Mo. — Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander today released the following letter he sent to Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, urging him to support early voting and refer Rep. Myron Neth’s (R-17) bill, HB 848, to the House Elections Committee. In the letter, Kander discusses the bipartisan support early voting has received over the years, including from former Missouri Governor and Secretary of State Matt Blunt.

The full text of Kander’s letter is included below, as well as links to Blunt’s early voting report and Kander’s Early Voting Commission recommendations:

March 26, 2013

Dear Speaker Jones,

I read with interest last week’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, “Early voting proposal gets bipartisan push in Missouri,” where you were quoted saying, “People are going to have to prove to me why they need early voting.” I am writing to make you aware of a report from former Governor and Secretary of State Matt Blunt on the benefits of early voting. As Secretary of State, Mr. Blunt was a strong advocate for Early Voting.

I have included then-Secretary Blunt’s report, as well as the recommendations of my Early Voting Commission, but I wanted to share with you highlights of then-Secretary Blunt’s report:

“In the states that have adopted Early Voting, the program has been very popular with the voting public and is credited with generating fresh public enthusiasm for elections.”

“Voting is a personal responsibility. However, election authorities and those in government should constantly strive to make the execution of that civic duty as convenient as possible.”

“By decreasing polling place lines on Election Day, the potential for confusion and fraud will be reduced and voter confidence and participation can be expected to rise.”

As you know, Representative Myron Neth, the vice chair of the Elections Committee, has filed legislation mirroring the recommendations of my bipartisan Early Voting Commission. I am writing today to ask you to refer HB 848 to the Elections Committee so it can receive a hearing. If the Elections Committee does not have any more slots for legislation this year, I would ask that you send HB 848 to a committee that does.

In a letter to legislators explaining his early voting report, then-Secretary Blunt stated, “It is my hope that you and your colleagues will make the necessary statutory adjustments and provide funding for the implementation of Early Voting as soon as the state’s fiscal condition permits.” My bipartisan Early Voting Commission has found a more affordable way to get this done, so today, I am asking for that same consideration from you. Thank you for your attention to this matter.